Geography Themes/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby Tim, has his finger on a map. TIM: Hmmm. Moby spills a glass of orange juice on the map. TIM: Gaaah! Moby hands Tim a letter. Tim reads from the typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, I need to write a paper on geography. What should I talk about? From Yvany. Studying the geography of a place will tell you about its landscape and where's it's located, but also about the people who live there and the relationship between those people and their environment. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, take the United States, for example. It's a big country and the geography really varies, but we can talk about some major characteristics. An animation shows a world globe. The United States is highlighted to show its location. TIM: So, where is it? Of course, we're talking about location. The U.S. is part of North America in the Western Hemisphere, and in the Northern Hemisphere. MOBY: Beep. The equator is shown running horizontally around the globe. TIM: Right, the equator divides the northern and southern hemispheres. We can also talk about a particular region. In geography, a region is just an area that shares some characteristic with another area. An image shows a map of the New York tri-state region divided into counties. TIM: Let's say you live in the New York tri-state region. Even though there are tons of different locations and people in that area, it still has a lot of things in common like roadways, language, TV and radio stations, sports teams, weather, and so on. Region can be pretty specific, or pretty vague, and an area can belong to more than one region. An image shows the New York tri-state region as part of the United States. TIM: Like living in the New York tri-state region, you also live in the larger American east coast region as well as the temperate zone, which is larger still. An image shows a world map with the Islamic moon and stars symbol placed above Islamic areas, including North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. TIM: By the way, region can also be cultural. For instance, you can talk about the Muslim world, to talk about the region of the world where Islam is the main religion. TIM: Another thing to know about your geography is, what's it like here? Lots of factors figure in to a sense of place. The language is mainly English, but it also has some Spanish and a mix of other languages from around the world. The people are a mix of immigrants from just about everywhere. And the architecture and buildings are quite varied in style and age. Images show a dictionary, a crowd of people, and different types of buildings placed on a map of the United States. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, the more specific you get about location and region, the more you can tell about place. A map of the United States pinpoints the location of New York City. TIM: Take, for example, New York City. It's located at about 40 degrees North latitude, and about 74 degrees West longitude. New York City has a really large population, and it's really not all that big in area. An image shows the New York City skyline. TIM: So, city planners had to build upward. There are a lot of tall buildings for people to live and work in. TIM: New York City is often called a melting pot because it's so culturally diverse, but it can be broken down even more. Many neighborhoods are made up primarily of immigrants from many other countries, such as Italy, China, Poland, and many others. Images show four different immigrant neighborhoods. MOBY: Beep. An animation shows a historical sailboat approaching a coast. TIM: Well, people move around from place to place, in search of a better life. That's another part of geography, without movement we wouldn't be here. MOBY: Beep. TIM: And we're constantly in contact with our environment. Lightning flashes and thunder sounds. MOBY: Beep. TIM: The weather, sure. Images show a field of crops, smoke coming out of a car's tailpipe, a dam; and a well. TIM: But also things like growing crops, burning fossil fuels, building dams, and digging wells. These are all ways that we interact with our environment. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, they're not always positive ways. So, when you talk about the geography of a place, you want to explore: the location, where is it? The place: what is the area like? What's particular about the landscape, climate, and people who live there? Region: what physical or cultural grouping does an area belong to? Movement: how did people get there? Why might you want to move there, or move away from there? And humans in the environment: how does the environment affect the people who live there? What have people built and how have they changed the landscape? MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, those are just some starter questions to consider when you're thinking of geography, and what makes places unique. It's all interconnected. Understanding the geography of a place can help you understand its weather, its culture, and its history. Tim looks down at his map. TIM: You ruined my map. MOBY: Beep. TIM: What great orange juice flood? Category:BrainPOP Transcripts Category:BrainPOP Social Studies Transcripts